BARIPADA: The unique tradition of tying of ‘rakhi’ between a brother and sister has taken a new meaning with people binding ‘rakhis’ around trees to emphasise the message of conservation. On Wednesday, regional chief conservator of forest (RCCF), Baripada circle and Field Director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, Prakash Chand Gogineni, emphasised this by tying rakhi to a tree during an event on Raksha Bandhan held in Jhinkiriasole village, Moroda block in Mayurbhanj district.
Gogineni underscored that while trees play a vital role in providing oxygen and sustaining life, their reckless depletion and forest fires remain pressing concerns. He commended the symbolic gesture of bonding between humans and trees, emphasising its potential to raise awareness about environmental preservation.
The event, organised by social organisation ‘Sparda’, highlighted the importance of trees in our ecosystem. Additional superintendents of police Umesh Chandra Panda and Umasankar Moharana, also present at the event, stressed that the rising population has led to increased deforestation, making it everyone’s responsibility to protect and preserve trees.
Social worker and head of Sparda, Vivekananda Pattnayak, said that this innovative approach began in 2004 with a mission to promote tree conservation. Locals, mostly tribal men and women participated in the event, sharing their perspectives on the significance of trees in their daily lives and expressing the essential role they play.